Thill-holder.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEssE A. HENRY, oE'roRoN'ro, CANADA.

THILL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,638, dated August 22, 1899.

Application filed Jurre 26, 1899. Serial No. 721,846. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE A. HENRY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearing Thill-Holders,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is the production of a thill-holder arranged with a peripheral row of balls for supporting the thill,tl1ere by providing a rolling engagement between the holder and the thill, permitting the latter to slip freely backward and forward in the holder.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of this thill-holder. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same on dotted line w a; of Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is a side view of said holder.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A is the body portion of the thill-holder, in loop form, being provided with the ball-race A for the reception of a row of balls A2. This race A extends somewhat more than one-half the way around the body portion A at the lower side thereof, the balls projecting inward above the inner periphery of the loop. At the lower end of the body portion A is provided the fixed loop A5, to which the girth of the harnessis secured `in the usual manner.

A4'is a transverse T-shaped stud integral with the body portion A of the thill-holder, extending outward from the upper portion thereof.

A5 is an opening formed in the upper part of the body portion A of the holder, and A5 is a threaded opening extending through said body portion A to one side of and a little below the opening A5.

The upper part of the body portion A is formed for Athe reception of the buckle B, which suspends the thill-holder from the saddle of the harness, the metallic strap B holding said buckle securely in position, the rivet B2 of the buckle being held in the opening B5 formed by the meeting surfaces of the body portion A and the metallic strap B.

B4 is an opening formed-in the upper part of the strap B', coinciding with the opening A5 in the upper part of the body portion A,

which coinciding openings are to accommodate vthe tongue of the buckle B.

B5 is an elongated opening through the strap B', extending lengthwise thereof, and is provided for the reception of the T-shaped stud A4.

, B5 is a round-headed machine-screw provided for the threaded opening A6 and adapted to secure the strap B rigidly to the upper part of the body portion A.

The ball-race A is open at one of its ends forthe reception of the balls A2, being closed bythe act of securing the metallic strap B lin position. This strap is placed so that -the stud A4 extends through the elongated opening B5 in the strap. The rivet of the buckle B is placed underneath the strap B,the tongue of said buckle extending upward through the opening B5.

In practice this thill-holder is secured to the strap connecting with the saddle of the harness and the girth attached to the loop in the usual manner. The thill resting in the holder is free to slide backward and forward therein, not dragging upon the holder and pulling backward or forward upon the saddle as where the ordinary leather loop is used. With the arrangement of balls as herein shown it is impossible to bind or crampthe thill in the holder.

To remove the buckle B, the screw B5 is taken out and the metallic strap B turned at right angles to the length of the holder and slipped off from the T-shaped stud A4, when the buckle B may readily be separated from the said strap B. The removal of the metallic strap B opens the ball-race A and peri mits of the removal of the balls A? therefrom.

The girth-loop A5 is slightly to one side of the center line of the holder, being so placed to accommodate the latter to the curve of the saddle of the harness.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a thill-holder, in combination, a body portion in loop form, having an inner periph eralball-race, and an opening through the wall of said thill-holder intersecting the ball race,whereby the balls may be inserted; means for closing said opening; and a series of ,balls for said ball-race. l

2. In a thill-holder, in combination, a body portion in loop form, having an inner periph- ICO eral ball-race, and an opening through the wall of said thill-holder intersecting the ballrace, whereby the balls may be inserted; a strap for closing said opening; and a series of balls for said ball-race.

3. In a thill-holder, in combination, a body portion in loop form, having an inner peripheral ball-race, and an opening through the wall of said thill-holder intersecting the ballrace, whereby the balls may be inserted; a strap for securing a buckle to said thillholder, having an elongated opening therein; a transverse metallic stud engaging the strap through said opening; and a series of balls for said ball-race.

4. In a thill-holder, in combination, a body portion in loop form, having an inner peripheral ball-race, and an opening through the JESSE A. HENRY.

iVitnesses:

L. L. MILLER, GEO. L. CHINDAHL. 

